What makes a hero a hero? I heard a story today of a sixth grader who noticed that his bus driver was unconscious, which would be okay if they were idling in the school parking lot, but they, of course, were not. Instead, they were on a highway and the bus was on a head on collision course with a minivan. This young man ran to the front of the bus and slammed on the brakes. Then he noticed a semi trailer bearing down on them from the back. So he accelerated and drove the bus to the side of the road and in the process saved 150 school children from being maimed or killed. Hero! No doubt. But what if the scenario were a gunman in a class room while most of the students and the teacher were hiding in a quiet room adjacent to the room? What if one student wasn’t able to hide in time? What if that student tells the gunman that the class had climbed out the window and escaped outside? Twenty school children saved. Hero! But, wait a minute, he lied. What makes a hero?
Exodus 1:15-22 is Pharaoh’s plans B and C to stem the tide of increasing Israelites. Ah, but it is much more than that. The King of Egypt secretly calls in two Hebrew midwives named Shiphrah and Puah. They may have been the leaders of an army of midwives and therefore the representatives of the whole group. We’re not told, but it makes sense that there would be more than two midwives involved in helping with the birthing explosion that was going on among the Israelites. So, the king of Egypt tells these ladies that while they are helping with the birthing process they were to look for “stones” (most translations have “birthstool” here, but there is no evidence for that meaning), which seems to be an euphemism for testicles, and then to kill all the baby boys. And why would these Hebrew women kill Hebrew babies? Because Pharaoh commanded it.
But these midwives are clearly heroines in this story. They were more reverently respectful of God, than having been terrified of Pharaoh and all of his power. These brave women risked their very lives by disobeying the king of Egypt, and that without any guarantee from God that he would protect them. They did the right thing regardless of the consequences. And that is the very definition of courage; that is what makes a hero boys and girls. Pharaoh noticed that Israelite babies, boys and girls, just kept on being born. So he summons Shiphrah and Puah and asked incredulously (I’m assuming it was incredulously since it was written down and I cannot hear the tone in which it was spoken, but it is a good assumption I think), “Hey! Why have you done this? Why have you let the boys exist?”
And then these heroes of the story lie. Admittedly, this gets debated quite a bit. People will do some language gymnastics to prove that this was not a lie at all, but instead, strictly speaking, very true. I may be wrong, but it seems like a lie to me. “Why Pharaoh, you clearly know nothing of Hebrew women. They are more lively than Egyptian women. They have their babies before we can get to them. Not like those soft Egyptian women, who keep that baby waiting until the midwife arrives.” Not only, does this smack of an untruth, it is a jab at Egyptian women. And apparently, Pharaoh was unaware enough of the customs of the Hebrews, that he at the very least believed it might be true. And his own ego probably helped here. I mean, why would these women disobey the mighty Pharaoh and risk being killed just for the lives of Hebrew baby boys? And God blessed these women; these liars; these heroes of the story. Why? Because they feared God and protected his people at the risk of themselves. We could debate all day and night about whether or not they should have lied, but I think that misses the point. They stood up to the most powerful man on the planet because they feared God. They were heroines of the story. No doubt.
Pharaoh doesn’t give up here. His plan C is to command all of his people to throw Hebrew baby boys into the Nile. If we have been paying attention in this story, we are not asking if he will be successful. We know better. Instead we are asking what will God do now? How will he continue to increase his people in fulfillment of his promise? And maybe it is that question that allows us to be heroes in our story. God’s plan cannot fail. The plans of kings, queens, presidents, and tyrants can and will fail. But God’s plan will succeed. The only question is, will we stand and do what is right? Will we be the heroes who fear God more than the powers of oppression; more than bullies who think their very presence should bow us down; more than the threats of ruination? Stand! Be the hero! Shalom.